Clothes-washing device.



CLARA E. MILLER, OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK.

CLOTHES-WASHING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed September 6, 1905. Serial No- 277,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARA E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Washing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a clothes washing device and more particularly to a hand device for imparting to the clothes the rubbing action commonly done by means of the hands of the operator on a washboard set in a tub.

The object is to save the wear and tear upon the hands of the operator and at the same time cleanse the clothes in an effectual and expeditious manner.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for this purpose capable of use wherever soiled clothes are to be rubbed for cleansing them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the rubbing device in position for use in connection with a washboard and tub of water, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device in side elevation partly in section, Fig. 3 is an end view, Fig. 4 is a transverse section in the plane of the line AA of Fig. 2, and, Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified form of roller.

The body of the deviceas shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, consists of a cylinder 1 provided with longitudinal corrugations 2, the said corrugations being located at frequent intervals and preferably having their outer edges provided with cross grooves 3 at frequent intervals throughout their lengths. The body 1 is further provided with perforations 4 extending transversely therethrough at frequent intervals throughout the length of each depression intermediate of two consecutive ribs. These. transverse perforations 4 serve to hold charges of water temporarily and to provide for the-escape of water when the roller is pressed into contact with the clothes under treatment. The body 1 is provided with journals 5 and 6 projecting outwardly from its ends in axial alinement with the body portion 1. On the journals 5 and 6, handles 7 and 8 are journaled and held in position by means of retaining buttons 9 and 10 secured to the ends of the journals 5 and 6 respectively. The retaining buttons 9 and 10 may conveniently be made of indiarubber and when so made, press gently against the hand of the operator without any tendency to chafe it during the rotary motion of the roller and at the same time they are water-proof and so retain their form and position without liability to crack and split or rust.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form in which the roller is shown as provided with circumferential corrugations 11' instead of the longitudinal corrugations 2 above described.

In operation, the operator grasping the handles 7 and 8, reaches downwardly into the tub and draws the and rubbing action. The hands of the operator hold the handles against rotation while the body 1 is free to rotate, its corrugations naturally interlocking to a greater or lesser extent with the corrugations on the face of the washboard 12, causing it to rotate and perform its squeezing action while the water escapes from the clothes through the perforations in the body 1. This reaching down and drawing the clothes up and giving them a few vigorous rubs with the device is repeated over and over again until the clothes are thoroughly cleaned.

vThe device as herein shown and described is a very simple one to manufacture and has proved very effective in use.

What I claim as my invention is:

A washing device comprising a cylindrical body portion provided with corrugations on its exterior surface and having its ends extended in reduced form to form journals, handles mounted on the said journals and held in position by elastic buttons fastened to the journals, the said body portion of the roller being provided with sets of inter communicating radial perforations at intervals along its length whereby charges of Water may be temporarily lifted from the body of water in the tub as the roller moves upwardly along the board.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this second day of September 1905.

CLARA E. MILLER. 

